TIE Affiliation

Sustainable Water Management Master's Degree Program

Experience

Hannah is a Master's degree candidate in TIE's Sustainable Water Management (SWM) Program. She expects to complete her studies in August 2019. Before coming to Tufts, Hannah earned her B.A. in Environmental Studies from Brandeis University. While at Brandeis, Hannah ran a student-run organic roofop farm, which supported community-supported agriculture and also donated produce to local food banks. Hannah also completed an honors thesis investigating resource use and environmental impact of U.S. corn production. In Summer 2018, Hannah interned with the Food Research Action Center in Baltimore where she worked on food security issues. Aside from school work, Hannah currently works with the City of Boston Office of Food Access on research in food waste in Boston Public Schools. Hannah also volunteers with Drumlin Farms in Lincoln, Massachusetts.

Current Studies and Future Goals

When asked what she found most meaningful about her field of study, Hannah responded with the following: "Food and water are deeply interconnected, their relationship to rural livelihoods and urban and rural quality of life deeply interests me. Producing food sustainably, ensuring that food is accessible to everyone, and ensuring farmers receive a fair price is no easy task. Producing that food in increasingly water scarce regions complicates this picture even more. As challenging as these issues are, food connects us all. From farmers in the Great Plains to grocers in a New York delicatessen, we are all connected by food".

When asked what interested her in the SWM Program, Hannah responded with the following: "I was interested by the interdisciplinary nature of the Sustainable Water Management Program. I had come out of my undergraduate program with a rather broad degree, and found this program as a unique way to specialize in the issues of water and agriculture, which I have pursued through the Water, Food, and Energy track".

Hannah hopes to work on water issues in agriculture once she completes her studies at Tufts. This summer she will be working with farmers in the High Plains Region in telling stories of successful water management on their operations in a larger effort water to conserve water in the Ogallala Aquifer. Hannah hopes to continue to work on issues of water conservation in agriculture in water scarce regions such as the High Plains or the Central Valley of California.

Fun Facts!

When not doing schoolwork, Hannah can be found hiking, jogging, farming, drawing, painting, playing guitar, or bird watching.

Favorite Food: Halva

Favorite Artist: Belle and Sebastian

Favorite Place You've Visited: Kyoto, Japan

Dream Job: Working with frontline stakeholders on issues of water conservation in agriculture